BRITAIN’S new boxing star CARL FROCH will fight for a world title on prime time ITV1, as part of a new deal announced today (18.09.08) with Hennessy Sports. Froch will meet Canadian star Jean Pascal for the WBC Super middleweight world title in his home city of Nottingham at the Trent FM Arena on December 6, with both men going into the fight unbeaten..
The rest of the deal will see Hennessy Sports stage a minimum of 26 promotions for ITV4 over the next two years, featuring European, Commonwealth and British title fights. Mick Hennessy is one of Britain’s top promoters, whose stable includes a host of quality fighters such as Junior Witter, Darren Barker, Jon Thaxton, Wayne Elcock, John Murray, and John O’Donnell.
The new boxing deal adds to a growing portfolio of sports on ITV4. The channel is becoming a key destination for sports viewers, with UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, Guinness Premiership Rugby, cycling, top level darts and motor racing. It is available to over 90 percent of the UK population and is the tenth most popular multichannel in the country.
Mark Sharman, ITV Director of News and Sport said: “ITV has a great heritage in boxing and we’re delighted to have signed this new deal which secures free-to-air coverage of the sport. Hennessy Sports have a stable of boxers with great prospects and we look forward to watching them develop on ITV4.”
Mick Hennessy said: “This deal is great news for British boxing. ITV4 has a fantastic line up of sport and it’ll be a terrific stage for our fighters to showcase their skills. I’ve always enjoyed working with the ITV team and I expect this partnership to deliver some very special events.”
Coverage will be simulcast on itv.com and video clips of fights will also be available on the site.
SALCIDO MAKES HIS MOVE ON SEPTEMBER 26th UNBEATEN LIGHTWEIGHT PROSPECT TO FACE VICENTE ESCOBEDO IN CROSSROADS BOUT
ORANGE, SEPTEMBER 18 – He’s survived the ups and downs of the fight game and is still standing. Unbeaten lightweight prospect Dominic Salcido is ready to make his move on the 135-pound top ten, and the first man on his path is 2004 US Olympian Vicente Escobedo. On Friday, September 26th, at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California, these two highly-regarded fighters will meet and only one will move forward in boxing’s most talent-rich division.
Salcido plans on being the last man standing.
“This is a great opportunity for me, not only to beat a fighter everybody knows in Vicente Escobedo, but to do it on national television as well,” said the 16-0 Salcido. “I’ve waited a long time for a shot like this, and I’m not about to let it slip away.”
Salcido vs Escobedo is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, in association with Thompson Boxing Promotions, and will air live on Telefutura’s ‘Solo Boxeo’ beginning at 9pm ET / PT.
Tickets can be purchased at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa Box Office at (951) 755-5391 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Rialto, California’s Salcido (16-0, 8 KOs), a fighter known for his blazing speed and footwork, was a highly touted amateur star, but he saw his early pro career stall due to a hand injury. Fully healed, the 24-year old fought an amazing seven times in 2007 without a defeat (winning three of those bouts by knockout), and he is rapidly making up for lost time, earning a spot among one of the fight game’s top young prospects along the way. Most recently, Salcido scored a dominating eight round decision win over veteran Luis Arceo.
The Sweet Science and Willie Kickett nominated for Deadly Awards
The award winning Sweet Science radio boxing program has been nominated for Broadcaster of the year at the 2008 “Deadlys”, the 14th annual major national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music, sport, entertainment and community awards. The awards are to be held at the Opera House on Thursday October 8, and will be broadcast on SBS later in the month.
The Deadly Awards recognize the high achievers of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait community and showcase a who’s who of the indigenous sport, arts, health, education and entertainment world. This year’s nominees include Rugby League stars Greg Inglis and Scott Prince, AFL Stars Lance Franklin, David Wirrapanda and Adam Goodes, Basketballers Patrick Mills and Nate Jawai and entertainers Archie Roach, Troy Cassar Daley, Leah Purcell, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu and worldwide sensation The Chooky Dancers.
The Sweet Science Radio Show started in 2006 and is a 2 hour weekly celebration of boxing news, interviews, history, yarns and special features covering grassroots to elite boxing. In 2007 the Sweet Science won the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia Award for Contribution to Indigenous Broadcasting. The program is broadcast on the National Indigenous Radio Service via Koori Radio station in Redfern. The Sweet Science presenter team is made up of Wiradjuri warrrior and former Sydney King and South Sydney Rabbitoh Claude “the Black Diamond” Williams, Patrick Skene and Brad Cooke.
Cooke, who is also the General Manager of Koori Radio is a dual nominee (having been nominated for presenting the Barefoot Rugby League show on NITV), is thrilled with the recognition of the two shows and said “When we started the boxing show everybody thought boxing was dying, but we’ve found it to be alive and kicking. There is a huge underground army of fans out there that we are tapping into and getting a lot of love. Our historical features in particular get a great response and rather than running out of content we have more and more projects in the pipe”.
The Sweet Science focusses on historical features bringing to life the rich multicultural history of boxing in Australia and boxing’s historical role being the first institution to give the Aboriginal community equality and the chance to play on a level playing field. Features have paid tribute to indigenous boxers including historical greats such as Dave Sands, Lionel Rose, Tony Mundine, Wally Carr, George Bracken, Trevor Christian, Dick Blair, Gary Cowburn to contemporary fighters Anthony Mundine, Glen Kelly Robbie Peden and Willie Kickett and also non indigenous boxing key figures Sugar Shane Mosley, Sakio Bika, Jeff Fenech, Johnny Lewis, Billy Dibb, Nader Hamdan, Paul Briggs and many others.
Boxing at the Deadlys is also represented by current rising star, Nyoongar Willie Kickett who has been nominated for Most Promising New Talent in Sport against a talented nominee group including Cyril Sandow of the NRL’s South Sydney Rabbitohs and Cyril Rioli from the AFL’s Hawthorn Hawks.
The Perth based boxer has had a prolific 2008 with five fights to take his record to 13-0 including capturing both the WBO Asia Pacific and IBF Pan Pacific Youth regional titles at super featherweight. The undoubted highlight of the year for Kickett was his recent win over former world champion Gairy St Clair on the Jeff Fenech vs Azumah Nelson undercard.
Former boxing winners have included the legendary Tony Mundine who won the inaugural Deadly for Outstanding Contribution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sport in 2004. His son Anthony has walked the Deadly stage on three occasions to accept the Male Sportsperson of the Year Award. “The Man” is the most decorated of all Deadlys winners in the Sporting categories.
To register to vote go to http://www.vibe.com.au/register.asp
For more general information go to – http://www.vibe.com.au/vibe.asp?PageID=6